Anthony Wilkerson (32) of the Stanford Cardinal runs the ball against Shelton Johnson (24) of the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half of the Rose Bowl on Tuesday in Pasadena. HARRY HOW, GETTY IMAGES

PASADENA – His team had won only minutes earlier and already Anthony Wilkerson had danced on stage with his giddy teammates, modeled a Rose Bowl championship ballcap and been showered with confetti.

But now the running back was really embracing the moment, literally hugging the occasion for all it was worth.

Standing near one end zone, with the Stanford band blaring behind him, with the school's tree mascot prancing about, with the fans chanting in triumph, Wilkerson stepped forward to wrap his arms around ... Condoleezza Rice?

For a Rose Bowl that didn't have a whole lot — the offenses combined for three points after halftime — this one did, incredibly, feature a former U.S. Secretary of State.

"I just saw her walking by," said Wilkerson, who was born in Anaheim and played at Tustin High. "She was giving out hugs. I thought, 'I gotta get me a hug.' So it was pretty cool."

That's one of the advantages of playing football at a place like Stanford, an academic assembly line that has lit some of the brightest lights in our universe. Accomplished people — shining beckons, if you like — sometimes just suddenly appear.

Rice served a fellowship at the school in the early 1980s and Tuesday roamed the sideline as the Cardinal sent Wisconsin home with Rose Bowl parting gifts for a third consecutive year. The final this time around: 20-14.

Perhaps the Badgers should chose to not even RSVP next season.

"You can't come to Stanford and not try to make connections," said Wilkerson, a junior majoring in communications. "There are a lot of successful and hard-working people here you should talk to. I mean, Condoleezza, she's a big inspirational leader. I had to give her a hug."

He carried only five times for 31 yards Tuesday. He caught only one pass, the reception actually resulting in a 1-yard loss.

But that's not the point. The point is the Cardinal won and Wilkerson contributed, and in this program, it's about the group over the individual.

Perhaps USC should take note.

Stanford hadn't won the Rose Bowl since 1972. The Cardinal didn't even make it here with Andrew Luck at quarterback. They won this one with a redshirt freshman calling signals.

"We just want to feel like we're part of the team," said Wilkerson, who backs up star Stepfan Taylor. "As long as I'm helping my team win, I feel like I'm part of the victory. It's not a one-man deal out here. It's only right to be humble. None of us would be anywhere without our teammates."

This was Wilkerson's first Rose Bowl live. He watched the 2006 game on television, and seeing Texas' Vince Young become a legend against USC was all the exposure Wilkerson needed.

He estimated the crowd Tuesday included 30 family members and friends. He talked fondly afterward about how his brother, Ricky Miller, who played at Fresno State, was another inspiration.

"This is home for me," Wilkerson said. "It's my backyard, so it means a lot of to me. They're all here, everybody's here, and I'm happy that they are.

"It's a dream. Tonight's a dream. It's crazy being here. The lights. The crowd. The cheering. It's surreal to me."

This setting almost was Wilkerson's first choice. Coming out of Tustin, he strongly considered UCLA, along with Cal. But after they figured out their son had the grades and the invitation, Wilkerson's parents informed him Stanford was the choice.

It was a no-brainer, they told him, to join the all-brainers.

But that's another one of the advantages of playing football at a place like Stanford. These days, the school has a football program worthy of its academic standards.

The Cardinal now has played in three consecutive BCS games. Teams that do that typically call the SEC home.

"It's the best school in the nation," Wilkerson said. "We have the mix of academics and sports. We're at the top with Harvard and MIT and those schools. We're also at the top with Alabama and all those football programs."

Stanford's victory also was just the third in seven bowls this season for the Pac-12. USC began the year ranked No. 1 and ended it with six losses.

Arizona needed two touchdowns in the final 46 seconds to beat a mediocre Nevada. UCLA fell behind Baylor by four touchdowns in being blown out. Oregon State lost a double-digit fourth-quarter lead in falling to Texas.

And then there was Stanford, not playing great against Wisconsin but winning just fine.

"We're consistent and we're hard-working," Wilkerson said. "We've been putting in the work in the offseason. It's time for people to start realizing we're trying to do big things just like every other big football school out there."

The Cardinal certainly has clout today, standing as tall as ever, a program embracing its excellence and squeezing every ounce of its fame.

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